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Description

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is a spacecraft intended to carry a crew of up to four astronauts to destinations beyond-low Earth orbit (LEO). Currently under development by NASA for launch on the Space Launch System , Orion will facilitate human exploration of the Moon , asteroids , and Mars .
The MPCV was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011. Its design is based on the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle from the cancelled Constellation program . It has two main modules. The Orion command module is being built by Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans , Louisiana . The Orion service module , provided by the European Space Agency , is being built by Airbus Defence and Space .
The MPCV's debut unmanned test flight, known as Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), was launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket on December 5, 2014 on a flight lasting 4 hours and 24 minutes, landing at its target in the Pacific Ocean at 10:29 Central (delayed from the previous day due to technical problems). The first manned mission is not expected to take place until 2021 at the earliest.

Description

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is a spacecraft intended to carry a crew of up to four astronauts to destinations beyond-low Earth orbit (LEO). Currently under development by NASA for launch on the Space Launch System , Orion will facilitate human exploration of the Moon , asteroids , and Mars .
The MPCV was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011. Its design is based on the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle from the cancelled Constellation program . It has two main modules. The Orion command module is being built by Lockheed Martin at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans , Louisiana . The Orion service module , provided by the European Space Agency , is being built by Airbus Defence and Space .
The MPCV's debut unmanned test flight, known as Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), was launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket on December 5, 2014 on a flight lasting 4 hours and 24 minutes, landing at its target in the Pacific Ocean at 10:29 Central (delayed from the previous day due to technical problems). The first manned mission is not expected to take place until 2021 at the earliest.